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Canine Hepatitis in Dogs

Infectious
canine hepatitis is a disease involving the inflammation of the liver in
dogs and is caused by a virus known as the canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1).
Animals other than dogs can be affected such as wolves and coyotes. Death
can occur as a result of infection canine hepatitis within as little as two
hours without the owner having had any knowledge that the dog had been
infected and so is considered a serious and fatal disease. When this does
come to pass some owners often ask for biopsies since, although not the
case, it may appear as though dog had been poisoned. The virus increases its
numbers in the tonsils and then spreads to the kidneys and the liver. Dogs
under the age of one year old are more susceptible to contracting the
disease due to a weaker immune system than older dogs although unvaccinated
dogs at any age are prone to catching it. Dogs can recover and those that do
can obtain a blue tinge to their eyes for a short period of time although
vaccination is strongly encouraged and advised by veterinarians to prevent
this highly contagious disease from spreading.

Transmission

The canine
adenovirus type 1 is transmitted orally from the spread of bodily fluids
such as urine, blood, nasal discharge, and saliva. It can also be spread by
faeces and contaminated items such as clothing and food bowls. Organisms
which bite the animal such as fleas and mites can also infect the dog by
inoculating the disease into the blood. Even if the dog does recover it can
still spread the virus for as long as even one year through defecation.

If a dog has had
the virus and has contaminated the household then disinfectants containing
strong ammonium compounds should be used. Steam cleaning is also relatively
effective. Neither of these, of course, should be used on the dog itself. It
is very important to do this because the virus can survive for long periods
of time away from the dog.

Symptoms

The known
symptoms following the contraction of infectious canine hepatitis includes a
sore throat which results in coughing. This is accompanied by depression,
lethargy, and loss of appetite. A high temperature can also be noticed and
the abdomen becomes very sore. Some dogs experience seizures or convulsions.
As the canine adenovirus type 1 spreads to the liver, jaundice and vomiting
occur along with diarrhoea or sometimes even constipation. Jaundice presents
itself as a yellowish colouration of the skin as the dog begins to
experience liver failure and the dog’s stool may sometimes be a very pale in
contrast to its usual brown appearance.

In some
rare cases, severe bleeding can be seen as a result of the infection. It is
generally this bleeding, or liver and kidney failure, which results in the
fatality of the disease. Before this occurs the dogs may be able to fight
the disease by itself but even so the veterinarian should be contacted as
soon as any symptoms are presented. Following recovery, the dog will retain
a blue colouration on the retina for some time. The medical term for the
“blue eye” is chronic corneal oedema

Treatment and Prevention

There is no cure
for infectious canine hepatitis. There is no specific treatment plan but
usually it involves treating the symptoms. An IV is administered in the
veterinary practice to replace lost fluid and antibiotics are given to
prevent any secondary infection which may occur. The dog must be allowed to
fight the disease by itself due to the lack of cure and so all that can be
done is to give support; keeping the dog as relatively healthy as possible
to give it the best possible chance of survival.

Due to the
fact that there is no cure it is highly recommended that all dog owners have
their pets vaccinated against canine adenovirus and fortunately many
responsible dog owners across the UK do so. Boosters are then required to be
administered annually to maintain long term immunity against the virus. In
vaccinating their dogs, owners not only protect them from infection but also
other dogs which may not be vaccinated. Overall this prevents the spread of
the disease.

Diagnosis and Prognosis

Canine hepatitis
is diagnosed by observing the virus under a microscope through obtaining the
infected faeces, urine, blood, or nasal discharge. Before this test is done
in the laboratory, the veterinarian usually makes a mental possible
diagnosis by looking at the symptoms presented. The laboratory work then
acts as a confirmation as to what the disease is. In mild cases of the
disease, dogs often do survive although fatalities occur as the disease
becomes more severe.

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